Thanksgiving

I am well aware of the "meaning" of this holiday: the genocide of American Indians. With that said, it still provides an opportunity to give thanks and show appreciation for the important things in life. While we're at it, expressing gratefulness for the trivial things as well doesn't hurt.

I would like to share my Thanksgiving for this year.

I am very grateful for the birth of my second daughter. She brings added joy to my marriage as my wife and I nurture this child and raise her. After losing Mallory and experiencing the heartache that brought for us, this birth took on extra meaning. The miracle of life was not taken for granted.

I am pleased to watch my oldest grow into a role model and care for her little sister. She has handled this change in our household with relative ease. I'm so proud and impressed with her thus far.

I appreciate my wife. This is not an easy situation we are in with a prior marriage, a child and a house that is not her own. She has uprooted her life to become part of mine, the whole time wanting to start a shared life between the two of us. The patience she has been forced to exhibit would break many women. I am grateful for this and so much more.

I am immensely thankful for every day I have with my oldest daughter. I have been open about the fact that she has had a roller coaster of a life in regards to her development and health. She continues to maintain a happy, cheerful disposition despite it all. Meanwhile I worry every second of every day about every aspect of her struggles. I never know when I may lose her. I try to stop my tendency to think negatively and catastrophically when I do not need to but the fact is that this is the way my brain works. I have reason to think this way in her case. So I need to enjoy every minute I have with her.

I am thankful that I have a job, house, food and clothing.

I am thankful that I have a supportive family and my in-laws have welcomed me with open arms.

I am grateful I live in a country with the freedom that we have despite the abuses of these freedoms by numerous people.

My friends have stepped up when I have needed them and I cannot ignore them in a post regarding appreciation. It is easy to be a friend when things are good, but it takes genuine care and concern when things are bad. I say things and do things without thinking from time to time but they never cut off our friendships as a result. I thank them all for their patience.

I can't ignore the appreciation I have for the fact that I have so much to be appreciative of in general.

Finally, I am thankful for the following I have for this blog. There are over 2,100 hits this year alone with about half the posts of last year.

Thank you.

Happy OSU v. Michigan

I say this with 100% genuine sincerity: The Ohio State Buckeyes versus University of Michigan Wolverines Football Saturday is an observed holiday in my household. I will go to my grave recognizing this day.

So as Jim Tressel led our Buckeyes to his 8th win in 9 years as our head coach today, I learned many things about this day and my life in general. I would like to share them with you.

1. I cherish this day.

2. It makes the day so enjoyable when OSU wins and the weather is a balmy 50 degrees and sunny.

3. I have some really cool friends who come to my house despite the prospect that our Bucks may lose and I may make everyone uncomfortable.

4. My dude, Chad gets it.

5. I love my wife. I had some where around 10 friends and colleagues come to my house to share in the festivities and she was nothing but cordial and welcoming. Never once did she balk. There would be a mess. Our carpet would be walked upon. Plenty of boisterous ruckus would take place. And never did she complain. She took care of the baby and I got to socialize and watch football.

6. I wish I could have joined Rob's bonfire.

7. I got to experience the phenomenon that is The Baddness and it was well worth the price of admission. His friends are very cool and I hope to hang out with them again.

8. Oregon will most likely be our opponent in the Rose Bowl. Maybe now, we can gain some respect int he eyes of ESPN and the national media. But the defense BETTER show up and somehow, someway, Pryor needs to learn how to pass in the next month.

9. I don't give a damn for the whole state of Michigan 'cuz I'm from OH-IO.

10. I really wish I could have had my oldest daughter with me today. I mean it when I say I consider this day a holiday. Just like Thanksgiving and Christmas and her birthday, I want to share this day with my girl. I want her decked out in her scarlet and gray cheering with me and getting frustrated with the bad plays. I want her to form memories of these games with her dad. While so much was good about today, there is still this missing piece in my heart. I would trade the times with my friends for the time with her in a hear beat. I have before and would have today. Of course, today I could have had both. But this is reality. Maybe next year.

11. I did get to share the day with my youngest. Most of the day she was with her mom. But she had her Buckeye gear on. She watched pregame with me and listened to the marching band. Most importantly, she was her to experience the experience. When she is up walking and talking, I anticipate her contribution to the future holidays to be significant.

12. I like my life the way it is. I witnessed numerous things tonight. But after it was all said and done, I was very happy I am living the life I am living. I am happy I have my family as it is, my house, a job, my friends, my personality, attitude, way of living, values and general lifestyle. I can't do what some can but I am happy with watching them. I don't do what some do and I am extremely pleased I don't.

13. I am excited to see family and old friends this coming weekend for the holiday. I have plenty to be thankful for and I look forward to acknowledging it!

On this day when we beat Michigan....LIFE IS GOOD!

WWHD

Yesterday a highly respected colleague of mine walked in my room after dismissal and the conversation went something like this:

"Huey, I had moment today."

"Uh oh what happened?" I responded.

"I had too much going on and I was trying to get all of this stuff in during Reading and it was falling apart in front of my face," she said sounding rather exasperated.

"Then I thought to myself, 'What would Huey do?'" she continued with her hand on her forehead with a look of consternation.

"Oh yeah?" I asked. "And what did Huey end up doing?"

"Stopped. Thought, 'Less is more. Work smarter, not harder.'"

"Ahh, so you streamlined the lesson and focused on what makes the most impact?" I though it would be wise to paraphrase back what she said to demonstrate my understanding.

"Exactly. Thank you Mr. Huey. Thank you."

The colleague with whom I had this conversation is an amazing woman who I hold in extremely high regard. I try to emulate her on a daily basis. The things she does in her classroom are truly remarkable.

Although I have worked next door to her for almost a decade now and have a clear idea of how she works, I am not the only one who has noticed her success. Any time there are important people in our school to observe how things work, her classroom is the model to which we hold ourselves and it's her room our administration takes the visitors to see first.

But the quality I find most appealing is her humility. Despite the accolades and praise we all shower upon her, she gets it. She understand that she is a product of others. Every time I compliment her or thank her or refer to her strengths, she immediately returns with a reference to something I have done that she has copied or taken from me.

She is extremely supportive in her language. She never offers help in a condescending manner. In meetings, she publicly praises me and brags about things I have done or that our grade level as a group has done.

So when someone like her recognizes my greatness, it means something to me. It is a legitimate comment that I take to heart.

I realize greatness isn't usually appreciated in its time, but she has appreciated mine ....if I do say so myself. And that is something people in my profession need more of, more often.

Especially when you end the day with bold, angry, little fourth graders calling you an idiot and intentionally jamming their should in your gut.